Semi-transparent type liquid crystal display panel and method of manufacturing the same

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a semi-transparent type LCD panel and a method of manufacturing the same. The semi-transparent type LCD panel mainly comprises a transparent substrate, a first transparent conductive layer, a first alignment layer, a liquid crystal layer, a second alignment layer, a second transparent conductive layer, a color filter layer, a passivation layer, and a TFT array substrate. A reflection layer is formed on a portion of the passivation layer. The area of the passivation layer not covered with the reflection layer is etched to a certain depth. The passivation layer has two different levels of thickness so as to allow reflected transmitting lights to be of the same color density.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from Taiwanese Patent Application No.092125283, filed on Sep. 12, 2003.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a semi-transparent type liquid crystaldisplay panel and method of manufacturing the same. More particularly,the present invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel capableof attaining an identical predetermined color performance by using thethickness differences within a passivation layer and method ofmanufacturing the panel.

2. Description of the Prior Art

At art of present, semi-transparent type liquid crystal display devicesare of many kinds of designs, most of which separate the color filterand the TFT array on two different substrates. Therefore, in order toregulate hue difference caused by luminosity differences between thetransparent portion and the reflection portion of the semi-transparenttype liquid crystal display device, the color filter needs to beadjusted to deal with the hue difference. The current methods have thefollowing steps: (1) adjusting the areas of the transparent section andthe reflection portion with different shapes and proportions to coat thecolor filter and (2) using different densities of an identical colorphotoresist to coat the color filter photoresist. However, these methodsmust have two spreading steps or even two exposure-development steps dueto the use of different color filters with different materials.Alternatively, these methods must have to adjust the thickness or areasof the transparent section and the reflection portion of the colorfilter. This not only wastes materials, but also increases the cycletime. Furthermore, the production volume and the resulting precision arenot satisfactory.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the aboveproblems in the conventional liquid crystal display devices. Oneobjective of the present invention is to provide a simple andmaterial-saving method for liquid crystal display panel.

The present invention provides a semi-transparent type liquid crystaldisplay (LCD) panel. The LCD panel comprises a transparency substrate, aTFT array substrate, a liquid crystal layer, a passivation layer, areflection layer, and a flat color filter. The liquid crystal layer isbetween the transparency substrate and the TFT array substrate. Thepassivation layer having a transmissive portion and a reflection portionis formed on the TFT array substrate, where a thickness of thereflection portion is thicker than that of the transmissive portion. Thereflection layer is formed on the reflection portion of the passivationlayer. The flat color filter is formed on the reflection layer and thetransmissive portion of the passivation layer. A first light reflectedby the reflection layer and a second light transmitting through thetransmissive portion of the passivation layer have the same colordensity.

The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing asemi-transparent type liquid crystal panel. The method comprises thefollowing steps. First, a passivation layer is formed on a TFT arraysubstrate. Next, a reflection layer is formed on the portion of thepassivation layer. The passivation layer not covered by the reflectionlayer is partially etched as a transmissive portion. Then, a flat colorfilter is formed on the passivation layer and the reflection layer. Afirst transparent conductive layer and a first alignment layer areformed on the flat color filter in sequence. Finally, the TFT arraysubstrate and a transparency substrate having a second transparentconductive layer and a second alignment layer are fabricated into an LCDpanel, where a liquid crystal layer is between the TFT array substrateand the transparency substrate. A first light reflected by thereflection portion and a second light transmitting through thetransmissive portion of the passivation layer have the same colordensity.

The present invention also provides another method for manufacturing asemi-transparent type liquid crystal panel using a different stackingsequence. The method comprises the following steps. First, a passivationlayer is formed on a TFT array substrate. Next, a reflection layer isformed on the portion of the passivation layer. The passivation layernot covered by the reflection layer is partially etched as atransmissive portion. Then, a first transparent conductive layer isformed on the passivation layer and the reflection layer. A flat colorfilter and a first alignment layer are formed on the transparentconductive layer in sequence. Finally, The TFT array substrate and atransparency substrate having a second transparent conductive layer anda second alignment layer are fabricated into an LCD panel, where aliquid crystal layer is between the TFT array substrate and thetransparency substrate. A first light reflected by the reflectionportion and a second light transmitting through the transmissive portionof the passivation layer have the same color density.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention can be more fully understood by reference to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross sectional view, showing a structure of aliquid crystal display panel of a preferred embodiment according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view, showing a practice that a certain depth of apassivation layer is etched according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic vertical view, showing a practice that a flatcolor filter is formed on a passivation layer having two differentlevels of thickness according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross sectional view, showing a structure of aliquid crystal display panel of another preferred embodiment accordingto the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

First, please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross sectionalview, and shows a structure of a liquid crystal display panel of apreferred embodiment according to the present invention. The LCD panelmainly comprises elements of a TFT array substrate (not shown in FIG.1), a passivation layer 1, a flat color filter layer 3, a firsttransparent conductive layer 4, a first alignment layer 5, a liquidcrystal layer 6, a second alignment layer 7, a second transparentconductive layer 8, and a transparent substrate 9. The elements arestacked one by one in sequence from top to bottom or vice versa. Areflection layer 2 is formed on the passivation layer 1 and the materialthereof is a reflective metal, such as aluminum, silver, chromium,aluminum alloy, and chromium alloy. Then, the passivation layer 1 notcovered with the reflection layer 2 is etched to a certain depth, so thepassivation layer 1 may have two different levels of thickness, i.e., ofh1 and h2, to allow reflecting and transmitting light in the same visualcolor density. Here, the thicknesses of h1 and h2 can be calculatedthrough hue simulation of primary colors red, green, and blue.

Next, please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a schematic view, and shows apractice that a certain depth of the passivation layer 1 is etchedaccording to the present invention. Also, the color filter layer 3 (notshown in FIG. 2) is formed on the TFT array substrate in the presentinvention. First, the passivation layer 1 is formed on the TFT arraysubstrate. Then, a reflection layer 2 is formed on a portion of thepassivation layer 1. Next, a portion of the passivation layer 1unprotected by the reflection layer 2 is etched to a predetermined depth(i.e., the altitude level h2 shown in FIG. 2), where the predetermineddepth is determined according to the type of the color filter.Therefore, the passivation layer 1 has different levels of thickness,i.e., h1 and h2. Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the flat color filter layer3, such as a photoresist layer with pigment, is formed on thepassivation layer 1 and the reflection layer 2 by spin coating, spinlesscoating, transferring, or printing. Therefore, the flat color filterlayer 3 has different levels of thickness because the passivation layer1 has different levels of thickness, and the reflected and transmittedlights have equal color density when seen. Under such circumstances,compared with the conventional arts, the color filter layer 3 is asingle layer of one time formation, and is not two layers with differentpigments or levels of thickness formed respectively on the reflectionportion and the transmissive portion.

Next, referring to FIG. 1, there are the first transparent conductivelayer 4, the first alignment layer 5, the liquid crystal layer 6, thesecond alignment layer 7, the second transparent conductive layer 8, andthe transparent substrate 9, stacked on the color filter sequentiallyfrom bottom to top or vice versa. A complete LCD panel is thus formed.As mentioned above, the reflection layer 2 on the passivation layer 1not only functions as a protection layer or a mask when the passivationlayer 1 is etched, but also achieves the reflective characteristic.

Finally, please refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross sectionalview, and shows a structure of an LCD panel of another preferredembodiment according to the present invention. The LCD panel mainlycomprises a TFT array substrate (not shown in FIG. 4), a passivationlayer 1, a first transparent conductive layer 4, a flat color filterlayer 3, a first alignment layer 5, a liquid crystal layer 6, a secondalignment layer 7, a second transparent conductive layer 8, and atransparent substrate 9, which are stacked one by one in sequence fromtop to bottom or vice versa. Similarly, a reflection layer 2 is formedon the partial area of the passivation layer 1, such as aluminum,silver, chromium, aluminum alloy, and chromium alloy. Then, a portion ofthe passivation layer 1 not covered with the reflection layer 2 isetched to a predetermined depth to form two different levels ofthickness, i.e., h1 and h2, in the passivation layer 1. The area of thethicker passivation layer 1 is used as a reflection portion and the areaof the thinner passivation layer 1 is used as a transmissive portion.Therefore, the visual color densities on the reflection portion and thetransmissive portion are the same after a flat color filter is formed onthe passivation layer 1. Here, the h1 and h2 levels of thickness can becalculated through hue simulation according to primary colors of R, G,and B.

The main difference between FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 lies in that the stackingsequence of the first transparent conductive layer 4 and the colorfilter layer 3 is interchanged. Namely, the color filter layer 3 isformed below the first transparent conductive layer 4 and the firstalignment layer 5 as shown in FIG. 1, while in FIG. 4, the color filterlayer 3 is between the first transparent conductive layer 4 and thefirst alignment layer 5. The above difference does not limit the presentinvention.

1. A semi-transparent type liquid crystal display panel, comprising: atransparency substrate; a TFT array substrate; a liquid crystal layerbetween said transparency substrate and said TFT array substrate; apassivation layer on said TFT array substrate, said passivation layerhaving a transmissive portion and a reflection portion, where saidreflection portion is thicker than said transmissive portion; areflection layer on said reflection portion of said passivation layer;and a flat color filter on said reflection layer and said transmissiveportion of said passivation layer; wherein a first light reflected bysaid reflection layer and a second light transmitting through saidtransmissive portion of said passivation layer have the same colordensity.
 2. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1,further comprising a first transparent conductive layer between saidflat color filter and said liquid crystal layer, and a secondtransparent conductive layer between said transparency substrate andsaid liquid crystal layer.
 3. The liquid crystal display panel accordingto claim 2, further comprising a first alignment layer between saidfirst transparent conductive layer and said liquid crystal layer, and asecond alignment layer between said second transparent conductive layerand said liquid crystal layer.
 4. The liquid crystal display panelaccording to claim 1, further comprising a first transparent conductivelayer between said flat color filter and said TFT array substrate, and asecond transparent conductive layer between said transparency substrateand said liquid crystal layer.
 5. The liquid crystal display panelaccording to claim 4, further comprising a first alignment layer betweensaid flat color filter and said liquid crystal layer, and a secondalignment layer between said second transparent conductive layer andsaid liquid crystal layer.
 6. The liquid crystal display panel accordingto claim 1, wherein said reflection layer is aluminum, silver, chromium,aluminum alloy, or chromium alloy.
 7. The liquid crystal display panelaccording to claim 1, wherein said flat color filter is a photoresistwith pigments.
 8. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 7,wherein said flat color filter is formed by spin coating, spinlesscoating, transferring, or printing.
 9. The liquid crystal display panelaccording to claim 1, wherein said flat color filter is thinner on saidreflection portion than on said transmissive portion.
 10. A method formanufacturing a semi-transparent type liquid crystal panel, comprising:forming a passivation layer on a TFT array substrate; forming areflection layer on a partial section of said passivation layer as areflection portion; etching a thickness of other section of saidpassivation layer without being covered by said reflection layer as atransmissive portion; forming a flat color filter on said passivationlayer and said reflection layer; forming a first transparent conductivelayer and a first alignment layer on said flat color filter in sequence;and fabricating said TFT array substrate and a transparency substratehaving a second transparent conductive layer and a second alignmentlayer, and a liquid crystal layer between said TFT array substrate andsaid transparency substrate into an LCD panel; wherein, a first lightreflected by said reflection portion and a second light transmittingthrough said transmissive portion of said passivation layer have thesame color density.
 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein saidreflection layer is aluminum, silver, chromium, aluminum alloy, orchromium alloy.
 12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said flatcolor filter is a photoresist with pigments.
 13. The method according toclaim 10, wherein said flat color filter is formed by spin coating,spinless coating, transferring, or printing.
 14. The method according toclaim 10, wherein said flat color filter is thinner on said reflectionportion than on said transmissive portion.
 15. A method formanufacturing a semi-transparent type liquid crystal panel, comprising:forming a passivation layer on a TFT array substrate; forming areflection layer on a partial section of said passivation layer; etchinga thickness of other section of said passivation layer without beingcovered by said reflection layer; forming a first transparent conductivelayer on said passivation layer and said reflection layer; forming aflat color filter on said transparent conductive layer; forming a firstalignment layer formed on said flat color filter; and fabricating saidTFT array substrate and a transparency substrate having a secondtransparent conductive layer and an second alignment layer, and a liquidcrystal layer being between said TFT array substrate and saidtransparency substrate into an LCD panel; wherein, a first lightreflected by said reflection portion and a second light transmittingthrough said transmissive portion of said passivation layer have thesame color density.
 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein saidreflection layer is aluminum, silver, chromium, aluminum alloy, orchromium alloy.
 17. The method according to claim 15, wherein said flatcolor filter is a photoresist with pigments.
 18. The method according toclaim 15, wherein said flat color filter is formed by spin coating,spinless coating, transferring, or printing.
 19. The method according toclaim 15 wherein said flat color filter is thinner on said reflectionportion than on said transmissive portion.